Kibbe FAQ

I see a lot of misinformation floating around the internet when it comes to David Kibbe and his Metamorphosis system. I have put together this page to help clarify some things.

Q: Is David Kibbe still working?

A: Yes! You can go see him in New York City. His contact information is on his Facebook page. Note that he does not do consultations through photos or video chat–you must go to NYC and spend several days with him.

Q. Can anyone else analyze me in his system? Has he trained people?

A: The answer to his is a firm no. There are people who have gone to see him who type people, but there is no one whom he has authorized and trained to type people in his system.

Q: Seeing him in NYC is out of my budget. Is there another way?

A: Yes! David is very passionate about what he does, so much so that he put together a series of exercises and helps women in his spare time in the Strictly Kibbe network of Facebook groups. I am an admin for the main group and the Gamine groups.

Q: Can I be a Classic, Gamine, or Natural?

A: No. David no longer places people in these categories, saying that everyone is either a little more yang or a little more yin. Some celebrities remain in this category because he has yet to move them, but they are actually either the Soft or Flamboyant/Theatrical version.

Q: David says X celebrity is a type like TR or SG, which have to be short, and Google says they’re tall. Does that mean that I can be a 5’9″ TR?

A: No! David says that celebrities lie about their heights (in my limited experience, I can confirm this to be true). He will sometimes change someone’s placement after seeing them in real life (Blythe Danner is an example of this, whom he moved from SC to FN), but until he says otherwise, the understanding is that if they are in an Image ID with a height limit, they fit that requirement, even if Google says they are taller.

Q: If I have a small waist, does that mean I’m yin? Will my measurements help me determine my Kibbe Image ID?

No and no. I have seen women with dramatic hip-to-waist ratios in FN. Your measurements don’t mean anything. I see a lot of people add these to posts and comments when they are asking for help with finding their Image ID, and it is not useful information. You can have the same measurements as someone else, and yet look completely different from them.

Q: Can I reverse-engineer my Kibbe Image ID by trying on different kinds of clothes?

No. You cannot recreate the recommendations from 1986 and arrive at your Kibbe Image ID. The way the information needs to be applied in reality has changed in the past 30+ years. Now that everything has stretch, the same garment can accommodate the bodies of a range of Image IDs. In addition, Image IDs are not styles, and you can express any style you want, regardless of Image ID. The best way to figure it out is to go through the exercises in the Strictly Kibbe group–which do not involve trying on a bunch of clothes in a poorly lit dressing room and asking for opinions on the internet. 😉

Q: Does height matter?

Yes, but perhaps not in the way you think it does. David would not measure you if you came to see him, but if you are tall, you can only be D, SD, or FN, because you’re automatically yang-dominant. If you are over 5’5″, you definitely cannot be TR. (TR is not as yang as most non-David “Kibbe” analysts think it is!) If you are petite, it does not rule out a yang-dominant type. It depends on your vertical–think SJP, who is FN.